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ses? AvAiLABLE com 'Y f .Y l if raist ner-462,168, dated 'spru-v 28, lese.

. more, in theState of Maryland, have invented 5 certain 'new and useful Improvements-,in av Process of WeldingTogether Sections of Pipe, J y-ofwhich the following is a specification. My invention hasj reference to improve ments in the art V.of welding sections of pipes Sie and other hollow articles together electrically, the'object being. to prevent theformationof "ribs, burrs, or like projections inthe interior l of the pipe, so that said'interior may remain smooth andnnobstructedl 15 Whenfth'e lprocess efelectric welding as heretofore practiced .is used in welding. 'to-A `gether sections of pipe,the material -npset at j- -fxeweld expands in a great mensurei'nto the .terior of the pipe, whereby the passage i's zo b'structed and its capacity generally reduced. .Lhis I, prevent, accoidingjto my process, by causing-within the pipe during the formation of the weld a gas-pressure by vwhich the material of the pp'erendered plastic atand about. 25 the Weld is prevented `from accumulating within the pipe, but is forced to accumulate 'en the outside of it, forming there a rib or f bead, which is not onlynot objectionable, but

which also'adds'to the strengthof the weld. 3e In carrying my process'nto effect I so shape A and -inanipulateth'eends of the pipe-sections .to be Welded that an initial weld, herlnctically 'closing the pipe at the juncture, is formed almost instantaneously and before the joined 5 'edges vare upset toany considerable degree. I then producethe intemalgas'pressure and then cause the upsetting' of the joined edges vfor the completionof the weld, as will hei-cinafter more fully appear` 4o' For practicing my method a great variety of apparatus may be employed, and in the aecompanying drawings, which form a partof this specification, I have shown oneapparatus which may be used to advantage; but it will 45 be understoodthat I ain not confined to the use of the instrumentalities herein shown.

I have illustrated'in' Figure 1 a complete pipe-welding'apparatus with two sections of curved pipes in position lo be welded together,

5o the apparatus being shown mainly in longitudinab section; in Fig. 2, an end view'of a molding-clamp used in my process;v and in sectional yiew"ot two pieces of pipe 1%. itknown hat I,= ELms E. Russa citizcn'ofthef United State s,'residing at Baltiwelded together in accordance with my process; l l .sa Likenumera-ls' of reference indicate like partsall'throughoutthe d raiivings.-` Y Upon a bedplate,v1, which may be made of j wood vor other insulating materiali, are4 I mounted two castings, 2 2, a suitable distance 6e apart Theseeastings are each composed of a tail-piece," 3,' and an expanded head,4, each tailpiecc passingjthrough the bed-plate and' one of them being fixed. to thesame, while. the other passes through a longitudinal slot, 6 5 5, forinedin the bed-plate, and is movable in the line of saiilslot, so that it may be adjusted to aiiydesred position within the saine. In the tail-piece of the lixcd casting 2 there is an insulating-bushing, 6, and inthe same is jour- .7e naled one end oa screw-rod, 7, which passes through a nut formed iu the tailpiece ot the movable cast-ing. This screw-rod is turned by means of a hand-wheel, S, and it will now be understood that'I ani thus enabled to adjust thel movable casting to or from-the fixed Casting by turning the scrowrod iu one direction or the othcr.-A X

The hendsfof. the castings nrc preferably made scmicircular in forni, andaia point cor- So responding to thev center of the 'circle is pivoted a clamp, il, which may be adjusted to 'any desired inclination and there-timid by n Set-screw, l0, passing through a'currcd slot, 11`,in'the head'and into the bodyof the clamp. 85 Each clamp is formed with n lodge, l2, which constitutesfone jaw of the clamp proper, and

vwhich-serves asa seat for the pipe-scctionsto be weldedlogether. lnstczul of forming this ledge 12in 'one piece with the body of the 9o clamp, it may be lnade'reinovablc and cxehangeablc, as indicated, so that variouslyshaped ledges or lower jaws muy be used iu the same elnnrp; The upper jaw'of the clamp is formed by a follower, lil, which is formed 95 to adapt Iitself.' to thc shape of lthel pipe, and which lnayalso be exchangeable, like the lower jaw or lmlgc, l2.

`A clamp-screw, lt, passing through the head l5 ot' the ela'iup bears upon the follower, roc and itwill now beA uudeistood that by em .ploying the construction so fardescribcdl am enabled to clamp two sections of pipes with the edges to be welded together facing cach other, and by operatingthe screw-rod 7 I can I adjust one of these sect-ions to bear upon the other. Y

-.'Ihe lower ends of the tail-pieces are formed into binding posts 16, and 'these binding-posts' receive the leading-in wires 17, coming from a source of electric current capable of heating the articles held in the clamps to a welding heat. By preference Iuse in my process alternating currentsoflow tension and 'great quantity furnished by inductioual transformers; but of course I am not limited to the use Y used .with advantage.:

In'the ,drawings I have shown two sectionsing, and these pipes are hereshown with boldl .limited to the welding together of such pipe-V of such currents, since the lowtension currents furnished directly by a dynamo, a secondary battery, or. any other `source, may be of pipes,'18 19, clamped in position for weldcurves or'b'ends, not because myprocess is sections, but because it is of special utility in connection with pipesvof this character.

The free. end of the pipe-section 18 is hermetically sealed by the screw-plug 20; but it' may( be sealed inany other way. To thefree v, end nf pipe 19 is applied a cap, 2l, which in effect is what is technically known as an elf bow-joint for. pipes. One branch o f it, 22, is provided with a valve manipulated by hand-A whcel 23,' as usual. This cap 21 is applied-tovthe free end of pipe 19 vby mea'nsof aclamp,

Y, 24, which consists of a U-shaped casting one branch of which is provided witha ledge, 25, and a follower, 26, and the end of the pipe is inserted between this ledge and-follower and thelatter is forceddown upon therpipe by* the clampescrew 27. The othersbranch of the U-shaped` clamp has a screw, 28, passing at right angles through the same and bearing upon the cap and forcing the same against the squared edge of the end of pipe 19, hermetcally closing the latter.

To the branch v22 `of the elbow-joint cap is connected a exible tubing, 20, whichin 'turn communicates with the receptacle 30, contain- The two sections of pipes or other hollow ar-- Y that the currentinv its passage fromv one clamp 1 to thcothcr through pipesexperiences the.

ling; air or any other vsnitable'gas under high pressure, which pressure is indicated by -a pressure-gage, 31.

With anv apparatus thusconstructed myoperating the screw-rod 7- these edges are; broughtinto, contact and Ytheelectric current is then'allowed to pass. By preference, the ends of'the pipes are cliamfered both inside andoutside down to a 'fine edge, 'as shown, so

greatestrcsistance at these cliainfered edges,

which are almost instautlybrought to aweld.--v

lug heat, and ,before the thicker portions of L Y s BEST AVA'LBLE ook.

the chafmfer or the next adjoining portions of 'the unchamfered'parts have attained that heat.A Thus immediately after the closing of the circuit an initial weldwill be foi-med,

`which will electively close the pipe around the 1ine-of juncture. Before doing'all this the 'free 'end of pipe 18 must be plugged, as

shown, and the free end of pipe-section 19 must be closed by cap 21 and the latter connected with the source 30 of gaspressure,`as.

ments bythe heating to the welding tempera-,z

ture ,o ffthe portions of the pipe immediately adjoining the chainfer's, which portions are made to bear upon each other by operating thescrew-rod 7. Simultaneously therewith, however, the valve controlling the communication between thesource of gas-pressure and the pipes .underoperat-ion is opened, and the* gas-pressure'thus produced within the pipes bearing pon the plastic welding portions at -the line of j uncture'will force the material which is there being upset by the action of screw-rod 7 outwardly, and will thus prevent the formation of a burr or projection, which would reduce the capacity ot the pipe. The material thnsforced outwardly will form a bead or burr, 32,.on the outer surface of the -joined pipes, which is not only harmless, but

which Veven tends to4 strengthen the weld, so

IOO

that the formation of said bead on `the outside shouldnotbe prevented, but, on Athe contrary, should be promoted. I do this by the use 'of the mold-clamp 33, which consists of 'two semi'- vcircular jaws hinged together at 84:, and each provided on-its inner facesith a groove, .85. {lndicated inv dotted lines in` Fig. `2.) This clamp is applied to the ends'of the pipes to be Joined'in such 'position that the groove surrounds the line Vof junctureof the two pipes,fand the two jaws are clamped together by a latch, 36, pvoted to one. jaw and passing.

over al n ose, v37, formedV on the other jaw. This wholemold-cl'amp 'must' be made of or faced with some refractory insulating material-such as slate,- marble, clay, mica, or

It will nowbe seen that as the two sections of pipe are vwelded together under the internal gas-pressure the upset material will ac'- cumulateon the exterior of the pipe Within the groove 35 of the mold-clamp,- eventually lling said groove, and .thus forming' a wellf defined bead on the outside of the pipe,which bead will add to the strength of the weld, and will at the Sametime mark'the place of welding, while the interior of the pipe will be smooth and unobstructed. v

In -place of av rectangular iulll= clamp a loose wrapping of' asbestus-cloth may be used,

in which case, however, the exteriiitl bead or projection will not be so well defined asin the4 with suitable curreut-regulators,wherebythe lheating of the pipe may be stopped, increased;

ne use of in y perticular gas for produeingthe internal pressure in the pipes to be welded together, I use, by preference, oxygemwhieh will promote the heating of the pipe-ai thc point of juncture, and thus facilita-te the process.

sincc'the apparatus used willbe provided orf reduced at the will ot" the opera-tor, while the internal gas-pressure can also be regu-' lated at will.

Having n ow fully described my' invention,

entl 1.- The process'of welding scetions'of metal pipe or other hollowmetallic articles-'consisting in heating their contiguous ends lto a welding heat bytheaction of an elnet-riccurrcntin the presence of a iiuid-pressurc'within the Suid sections, substantially'- 'as'dcseribeth i of metal p'ip or otherhollow articles, consist- 2. The process of welding together sections ing in raising their contiguous-endsto a. welding'heat by the passge through the same of a current of electricity, and then' forcing the ends of the sections together and simnlta neously therewith pplyingan internal ilnidpressure; 'substantiallyas described.

3.- 'lhe process of welding together sections of meta-l pipeor other hollow metallicarticles, consisting in subject-ing their contiguous ends to theaction of shouting-current of electricity until :in in itinl fusion or weld hcrmetically closing the seam is produced, then applying 'an internal fluid-piessnr'eat the said ends` und si mnltaneonsly therewith forcing the sec tions against each other, whereby-fthe w eid is iin ished und the format-ion of an internal burr is prevented, sul'istantitlly as described.

. l. The process of welding together sections of metal pipe or other hollow srticlesonsistf ing in first reducing the mass or'thickness of the ends to befwelded, then placing said endsl in contact with each other, then subjecting 45 j theni to'thection of a heating-current of This process may be practiced te u nicety,

electricity' until an initial weld hermetic-elly 'linidpressure, substantially as described. 5o

5. The processofwelding together-'sections of metal pipe or other hollow metallic articles, consisting in subjetingthe contiguous ends of the sections to the action of awelding eur' rentp'of electricity in the presence of an in- 55 ternal uid-pressure, and circnmscribing or limiting the protuberance of 'metal thus Aformed on the exterior of the seam, sub- Asl sa.ntie. llyfa.s described z f 6.' 'lhe"prcess of welding together sections 6 0 of metal pipe orotherhollow metallicarticles, consisting in raising the ends of the sectiops to be joined to e welding heatby the pnss''igej:V

-Joincd ends by u. longitudinal pressure-'eind 6g" sinltaneously therewith forcing the upset metal-to the exterior of the pipe by internal gas-pressure, substantially as described.

7. The process of Welding together sections of metal pipe 'or other hollow metallicartieles, 7o.-

consisting in subjecting their contiguous ends to the action of s welding ourrentof electricity in the presence of .a. pressure of oxygen gas within the said sections, s'nbstantiallyns described. -75 In testimony wliereof-I have signed name tothis specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. ELIAS E. RIES.

Witnesses!A E. li. PILSBURL' L. A. WRAY.

of a current of electricity,then upsetting;the 

